Music stores in Toronto & GTA?

[Rezdog]

Greetings from the North,

Maybe Dave has a bit of the snobbish french Maitre'D thing happening on his bad days. I watched him blow a Lakland sale a few years ago because he misjudged a potential customer's ability to pay. Hopefully he's grown a little since the early days at the old store on Ossington. Then again you've got to understand that store was just a few doors away from one of the largest urban mental health facilities in Canada....

Rezdog

 

[Basstone1]

Why don't you go there and find out for yourself? It's easy to say you heard it from others....can you stand up and be counted for your own opinion? Or maybe you're afraid that Dave will challenge your opinions and you can't handle that. And just maybe if you change your mind after going there, do you have the courage to tell all the 'pros' that you enjoyed the experience?

And why not listen to the people who are on here who have positive things to say? Do their experiences not count? I have had more positive experiences at Club Bass with Dave than I can write about here, having been one of his first customers 20 years ago.

I'm a 'player' and a 'pro' and you don't speak for me...try speaking for yourself.

Talk about an over reaction. Afraid of the guy at Club Bass? lol

If you are not appraised of the situation outside of TB then thats ok with me, no matter at all. Knock yourself out!

 

[DanGouge]

I think everyone already said everything. Something to remember about places that deal mostly with vintage/used stuff: there's almost always more at 12th Fret, Capsule, or Paul's than what they upload on their sites. Part of the fun of these places is to actually walk in and see what they have. I should also add that I don't have anything bad to say about Dave or Club Bass - there were certainly lots of days that I've just walked in there to noodle around and it never seemed to bother him, but I can't speak to everyone else's experience either.

Anyone remember Songbird? They always had the best effects selection. No one replaced them really in that department, though Moog Audio has a lot of cool boxes.

 

[Baird6869]

Are you guys $h!tting me?

Dave is a fine guy that reads this crap.... Rag on him like this on person, not hiding behind the web.

Hate his store? call him or visit in person.

I an not a fanboy BTW... I order 90%+ of my gear online or from L&M Oshawa....

 

[pudgychef]

Hey pudgeychef; whats with the club bass hate one?.Dave has always been nothing but professional and informative to me. I will always give him my business. He know's me and my need s right down too string gauges lol.I will always choose the small business over the big box store ,both in my musical and professional life, period. Like Home Hardware vs Home Despot!

hardly a hate on....I said cool store, cool stuff. I have been there 4 times and found Dave to be a little stand-offish and a bit cold until I dropped some cash. I ALSO said I can understand how tire-kickers and Lookie-Lous would be particularly frustrating for a boutique level store like that.

I am in my 30s, dress well and have bought a lot of gear in the past. I have lived worked and gigged around the world. Purchased stuff from over 120 music shops across the globe. I know when I am receiving so-so service. So while I may not be wearing a Club Bass T-shirt, you ar more than entitled to rock yours with pride. I am sure, from your posts, that you have had very positive experiences. To each his own.

Still where else are you going to get a Skyline or Roscoe?

 

[pudgychef]

So I would suggest if you feel a bit of attitude, give him a little space. He has probably just spent a couple of hours on the phone with a customer he can never satisfy or trying to get the manufacturer to supply parts for a bass that is out of warranty, or arguing with a manufacturer about the rating of their gear. I know. I see him do all of these things on a regular basis.
Richard Bales
Proudly the Technician at Club Bass

and hey everyone is entitled to stressfilled days - the OP asked for personal opinions and we shared them.

If I have a bad day and let it show with my clients (be they bandleaders or catering clients) I have to deal with the impression I leave them with (accurate presentation of me and my personal struggles or not)....why would music retail be any different?

like I said, cool store, cool gear - don't expect a reach around and a free coffee....

 

[Nick901]

The OP asked for recommendations. Lets keep with that thought and stop all the negative comments before it gets out-of-hand and a mod closes this thread.
After all, we're bass players, not drummers.......

 

[pudgychef]

Are you guys $h!tting me?

Dave is a fine guy that reads this crap.... Rag on him like this on person, not hiding behind the web.

Hate his store? call him or visit in person.

I an not a fanboy BTW... I order 90%+ of my gear online or from L&M Oshawa....

I re-read through the thread and don't really see any 'ragging'

The most damning 'hands-on" opinion was mine - and all I said was its a great store, great gear - but the 4 times I have been there I found the service to be meh. SO? None of us (be we a company, a person or a talkbass entity) are perfect...and as such shouldn't expect 100% positive reviews.

I am a Chef - Let's say you hired me for a catering meal and the food was great but the desert was so-so. Then later you were on a Catering Enthusiasts Forum in which someone was asking for opinions on GTA catering campanies - should you say that everything was perfect? Or should you say that the meal was great but the dessert was only so-so? The truth of course!!

Similarly if I , or fans of my cooking, read these comments should we attack/challenge them or take them as a point of improvement? Hopefully we are mature and confident enough in who we are and what we do that we would take each comment as a potential learning experience and/or with a grain of salt.

This thread seemed to me like someone was going to be in the GTA and was looking for a quick synapsis of the local market - we all gave opinions. If I was looking for a Roscoe or a Lakland, I would shop at Club Bass - no problem. Is it a great store to go to if you just want to kick tires and shoot the ****? IMHO - not really. Obviously others feel differently....but that is life right?

As for word of mouth - I wouldn't put much stock in "I heard..." or "People say..." either in life or teh interwebz

Now why anyone would be upset or worked up about it is beyond me..... Nothing I have said here would be any different than what I would say to Dave if he asked. If one can't listen, accept and work with some critiscm, one will find life to be frustrating and a difficult place in which to succeed.....imho, ime, ymmv)

 

[RDUB]

Bought my Roscoe from Dave last year. Great guy, really well informed, and as said before, passionate about bass. He has always had nothing but time for me when I've visited, even at his old location. He's at the top of my list to visit when I'm in Toronto. (Which is far to rarely, these days!)

 

[G2K]

The Arts in Newmarket have a good crew but the selection of Bass Gear can be hit or miss. I did buy a bass and an amp there and was treated very well. I have been back for strings and have always had a postive experience at this store.
I have only one buying experience at Club Bass, it was a minimal purchase and I would most certainly go back to check out other gear.

 

[Tieiririyi]

Just to mention that L&M markham's manager is a bass player. The bass room has pretty good selections and every bass is always set up properly. it's a good place to try out some high end fenders.

 

[Hawkeye]

I re-read through the thread and don't really see any 'ragging'

The most damning 'hands-on" opinion was mine - and all I said was its a great store, great gear - but the 4 times I have been there I found the service to be meh. SO? None of us (be we a company, a person or a talkbass entity) are perfect...and as such shouldn't expect 100% positive reviews.

I am a Chef - Let's say you hired me for a catering meal and the food was great but the desert was so-so. Then later you were on a Catering Enthusiasts Forum in which someone was asking for opinions on GTA catering campanies - should you say that everything was perfect? Or should you say that the meal was great but the dessert was only so-so? The truth of course!!

Similarly if I , or fans of my cooking, read these comments should we attack/challenge them or take them as a point of improvement? Hopefully we are mature and confident enough in who we are and what we do that we would take each comment as a potential learning experience and/or with a grain of salt.

This thread seemed to me like someone was going to be in the GTA and was looking for a quick synapsis of the local market - we all gave opinions. If I was looking for a Roscoe or a Lakland, I would shop at Club Bass - no problem. Is it a great store to go to if you just want to kick tires and shoot the ****? IMHO - not really. Obviously others feel differently....but that is life right?

As for word of mouth - I wouldn't put much stock in "I heard..." or "People say..." either in life or teh interwebz

Now why anyone would be upset or worked up about it is beyond me..... Nothing I have said here would be any different than what I would say to Dave if he asked. If one can't listen, accept and work with some critiscm, one will find life to be frustrating and a difficult place in which to succeed.....imho, ime, ymmv)

Yes, everybody's entitled to their opinion and we enjoy being able to share it in an open and respectful manner on this forum.

However, you said this in your original post: "Can be hit and miss there in terms of being welcoming....but wave a few bucks at Dave at (and) he will warm up... "

I think it was this part of your post that riled a few folks. It may not have been your intention, but it is dismissive and definitely implies a mercenary mentality that is money-grubbing and not very client-centric. This (perhaps unwitting) designation of a negative character trait was what caught my attention at least and probably what triggered a lot of the reaction. Evidently, to use your analogy, quite a few of us have taken your opinion with a grain of salt.

 

[pudgychef]

Yes, everybody's entitled to their opinion and we enjoy being able to share it in an open and respectful manner on this forum.

However, you said this in your original post: "Can be hit and miss there in terms of being welcoming....but wave a few bucks at Dave at (and) he will warm up... "

I think it was this part of your post that riled a few folks. It may not have been your intention, but it is dismissive and definitely implies a mercenary mentality that is money-grubbing and not very client-centric. This (perhaps unwitting) designation of a negative character trait was what caught my attention at least and probably what triggered a lot of the reaction. Evidently, to use your analogy, quite a few of us have taken your opinion with a grain of salt.

well good on you...most opinions should be taken with a grain of salt.

Of course wouldn't 'taking it with a grain of salt' and 'getting riled up' be mutually exclusive approaches to a differing opinion? ...Maybe I am wrong...your advanced and impressive vocabulary would suggest that you have a stronger command of written English so perhaps you could correct me there....

I intended that comment to suggest that it isn't (what I would define as) a great store for tire-kicking. Obviously I failed to articulate that accurately...I do think the reaction as well as framing it as implying "a mercenary mentality that is money-grubbing and not very client-centric" is (imho) a little over dramatic....it was an off-hand, poorly executed comment - hardly an all emcompassing commentary on the guy....

Either way....I would shop there again, I wouldn't look for a hug and I wouldn't go there just to pass time/kick tires.

 

[Thornton Davis]

I've been reading this thread over the past couple of days and have really tried not to post, but having been a active bassplayer for the past 40+ years i've bought a lot of gear and just had to cherp-in.

Most of my experiences buying from GTA music stores have been good ones over the years, and I found out long ago that people tend to buy from people, if you know what I mean. It's called relationship selling/buying, so I tend to buy from stores that I have established good relationships with.

I'm not going to harp on my experience when I've visited Club Bass but I will say that unfortunately the 2 times that I went out of my way to visit the store, I didn't have a good experience there and I have no desire to return. Don't ask me why because I have no intention of posting why or I would have said why right here.

I have had excellent experiences at many L&M stores especally their Markham and Bloor St stores as well as at The Arts Music in Newmarket and Cosmo Music warehouse, before they moved to their current location. I now find Cosmo's prices to be excessive compared to their competitiors, but I must admit they have an amazing store.

For used and vintage stuff, I like The Fret, Capsule, Paul's and Kijiji. Although I have bought a few new basses from The Fret over the years.

There are still some small independently owned stores out there, but they're becoming fewer and farther apart every year. I like to support them when ever it makes sense too.

Happy New Year to all.

TD

 

[Fishheadjoe]

Funny, but I could probably say that virtually every music store I have been in have treated me both very well or they have virtually ignored me! I was ignored for the better part of an hour at Cosmo once... I always get ignored at Steves and have had to wrangle a CSR at many L&M's throughout the city.
I will say that the first time I walked into Club Bass, there were probably 5 other people in there and Dave was running like a mad man. I was dressed in my typical weekend atire... sweats top and bottom. Dave introduced himself and politely asked how he could help me, what I was looking for and promptly put a Roscoe in my hands, based on my desire to get modern sounding bass.
I noodled on it for what seemed like a pretty long time, Dave never bugged me! I called him over to ask some questions, he never tried to close me on a sale.
Funniest part was when I told Dave that I was going to buy the Roscoe... he was shocked, I'm sure in a good way, but the look on his face was priceless....
Also, I had a small finish problem with my Roscoe, seems it wasn't properly sealed in a few places along the neck. I called Dave, he called Roscoe, then made arrangments for me to drop the bass off at Club Bass. It turns out that Dave was going on vacation and would be within a couple hundred miles of the Roscoe shop, so he took my neck back to Roscoe himself... not wanting to risk UPS etc... damaging the neck.
I picked up my fully set up and repaired bass upon his return. (The guys at Roscoe did a great job btw) Can't really say any other retailer would have gone to that length for a customer!
So, there are many different experiences to be shared and I don't think that we should be taring and feathering anyone... I think it's the nature of the beast!
Fishheadjoe